We do need a GF winner that's not Saints, Wigan or Leeds to increase interest, IMO

Do you really though? If Warrington won would it have made such a difference other than a pleasant change for some neutrals. Considering Wire have won a few CC’s and a couple of LLS as well as this being their 4th GF appearance all in the last decade I don’t think it’d have that much impact for them to win it especially considering they probably should’ve won at least one by now.

"The Golden Generation finally has its Golden Fleece! They have Wembley Cup Final winners medals to add to their collection."

We need GF Winners That are better than those teams then?Not Handicap, drag down those teams to a level where the others can compete.

Spot on, we’ve had the chance for new winners 3 years running now and between them Warrington and Cas have scored 6, 6 & 4 points in the last 3 finals (and Cas was at the death when the game was long gone). Just not good enough.

"The Golden Generation finally has its Golden Fleece! They have Wembley Cup Final winners medals to add to their collection."

The better of two pretty poor sides won - a dismal game for what should be the highlight of the year.

How many GF's is that?

Perhaps another argument that the league season should be shorter. Wire’s 37th game and Wigan’s 35th of the season. Possibly why we aren’t seeing great GF’s nowadays as teams are running on empty. You’ll recall Leeds in 2015 and they really had to drag and crawl their way over the finishing line in the last few games where they looked shattered and out on their feet.

"The Golden Generation finally has its Golden Fleece! They have Wembley Cup Final winners medals to add to their collection."

Perhaps another argument that the league season should be shorter. Wire’s 37th game and Wigan’s 35th of the season. Possibly why we aren’t seeing great GF’s nowadays as teams are running on empty. You’ll recall Leeds in 2015 and they really had to drag and crawl their way over the finishing line in the last few games where they looked shattered and out on their feet.

Fair point

Your job is to say to yourself on a job interview does the hiring manager likes me or not. If you aren't a particular manager's cup of tea, you haven't failed -- you've dodged a bullet.

Perhaps another argument that the league season should be shorter. Wire’s 37th game and Wigan’s 35th of the season. Possibly why we aren’t seeing great GF’s nowadays as teams are running on empty. You’ll recall Leeds in 2015 and they really had to drag and crawl their way over the finishing line in the last few games where they looked shattered and out on their feet.

I agree with that, we have relatively small squads and play too many games.

By contrast the NRL Grand Final was Sydney & Melbourne’s 26th game of the season.

I think it’s also (along with other reasons) why we don’t perform that well internationally when we’re playing 30% more games than the NRL.

Yes he has had a number of head injuries - perhaps Flowers' intervention was the final straw that broke the camel's back?

Certainly the final in game incident before he retired although, in fairness, I'm not sure that amounts to the same thing. I can't remember who put the last high shot on Goulding before he retired but I'm fairly sure he was in the 'last chance saloon' before that anyway. I'm not sure it would right to lay the blame for his career ending at the door of whoever was responsible for the final incident.

I think its worth remembering too that, in Hohaia's case, he didn't suffer the ill effects after the match but only months later after he'd returned to pre-season training.*

Edit:* Actually it was much later than that. According to Saints own records he never complained of the symptoms until after he'd played the next season.

Perhaps another argument that the league season should be shorter. Wire’s 37th game and Wigan’s 35th of the season. Possibly why we aren’t seeing great GF’s nowadays as teams are running on empty. You’ll recall Leeds in 2015 and they really had to drag and crawl their way over the finishing line in the last few games where they looked shattered and out on their feet.

Perhaps another argument that the league season should be shorter. Wire’s 37th game and Wigan’s 35th of the season. Possibly why we aren’t seeing great GF’s nowadays as teams are running on empty. You’ll recall Leeds in 2015 and they really had to drag and crawl their way over the finishing line in the last few games where they looked shattered and out on their feet.

I think that's a very fair point. Unfortunately it comes down to simple economics. The NRL teams can afford to play fewer games due to the TV money they receive. I'm not sure that we'll ever have parity with them again.

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